Cheteshwar Pujara was architect of India's 2020/21 BGT win: Paine
Former Australian cricket team captain, Tim Paine, has praised Cheteshwar Pujara for being instrumental in India's 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory. Although Rishabh Pant's aggressive batting in the Gabba chase stole the show, Paine feels it was Pujara who actually drove India to victory. The former Aussie skipper stated that seam onThe Grade Cricketer podcast, emphasizing how Pujara's resilience exhausted Australia's fast bowlers.
Pujara's resilience outshone Pant
Paine highlighted Pujara's grit in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "What I do remember, a lot of people talk about Rishabh Pant in the last series in Australia, but the guy who won them the series was Pujara," he said. He further said that despite getting hit on his body by fast deliveries, Pujara never flinched and kept batting with grit.
Significant contribution to India's victory
In the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pujara faced as many as 928 deliveries, proving his patience and resilience at the crease. His most memorable performances came in the last two Tests where he scored a 205-ball 77 in Sydney and a 211-ball 56 in Brisbane. These innings paved laid the foundation for India's historic series victory.
Pujara's impressive record in Australia
Pujara has a phenomenal record Down Under, having scored 993 runs from 11 Tests at an average of 47.28. His tally includes three tons and five fifties. He was also India's top-performer with the bat during their maiden Test series win in Australia in 2018/19. He racked up 521 runs in seven innings at an average of 74.42.
Paine expresses concerns over India's bowling resources
Looking ahead to the 2024-25 series, Paine was worried about India's bowling resources. He particularly highlighted the absence of Mohammed Shami due to injury and the burden on Jasprit Bumrah. "Shami is going to be a huge difference, Bumrah, there is so much on his shoulders. If he gets hurt, then it's curtains for me," Paine said during the podcast discussion.
